Woodpecker Report: Writing the Last Word

Woodpeckers at Work

1Tap, tap, tap! If you hear a quick tapping sound in the woods, a woodpecker may be at work. Woodpeckers are birds that spend much of their time clinging to the sides of trees. They use their strong, pointed beaks to chip away at bark and wood. All that pecking has a purpose, and a woodpecker's body is built to handle it.

2Woodpeckers peck to find food. Many insects, such as ants and young beetles called grubs, live under tree bark or deep inside wood. A woodpecker hammers at the trunk until it makes a small hole. Then it pushes its long tongue into the hole. Many woodpeckers have tongues with sticky or bristly tips that help them pull insects out. Some woodpeckers also eat seeds, nuts, and fruit.

3Woodpeckers also use their beaks to build homes. Each spring, many woodpecker pairs carve out a hole in a tree trunk or a dead branch. The hole leads to a hollow space inside, where the female lays her eggs. The eggs rest on a soft bed of wood chips left over from the digging. After the young birds leave, the hole does not go to waste. Owls, squirrels, and other birds may move in and use it as a home.

4Not all tapping is about food or homes. Woodpeckers also drum to send messages. When a woodpecker drums, it hits a tree or a branch very fast, again and again, to make a loud sound. Dead branches and hollow trees often make the loudest sounds. A drumroll can tell other woodpeckers that this area is taken. It can also help a woodpecker attract a mate. Some woodpeckers even drum on metal rain gutters, because metal is very loud.

5A woodpecker's body is made for this hard work. Its stiff tail feathers press against the tree and help hold the bird up, a bit like the third leg of a stool. Most woodpeckers have two toes that point forward and two that point backward, so their sharp claws can grip the bark. Strong muscles in the bird's neck help it hit the tree again and again.